Private Wells: Frequently Asked Questions

What are private water supplies (private wells), who regulates them, recommendations for testing, and more.
Web page

Arsenic in Private Well Water: Frequently Asked Questions

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and bedrock in parts of Massachusetts. If you are in an area of concern, MassDEP recommends that you sample for arsenic. These questions and answers explain the health risks of arsenic and what you should do if you water has elevated arsenic levels.
Web page

Estimating Private Well Yields

This article is primarily for boards of health that do not have their own requirements for pumping tests but rely on the Department of Conservation & Recreation's Water Well Completion Report for estimates of well yield.
MS Word 375 KB | PDF 61 KB

Model Board of Health Regulations for Private Wells

Recommended language for local boards of health to use in writing regulations for private wells.
MS Word 21 KB | PDF 72 KB

Private Well Guidelines

These guidelines are primarily intended to assist Boards of Health and well drillers by attempting to introduce some consistency regarding construction standards from town to town. The Guidelines also provide information useful to the private well owner, developers, and interested local officials. Revised May 2008.
Web page

2009 Standards & Guidelines for Contaminants in Massachusetts Drinking Water

The 2009 Standards & Guidelines for Contaminants are intended to provide the public with information on the safety and integrity of drinking water in Massachusetts. A maximum contaminant level (MCL), the highest concentration that is allowed in drinking water, is provided for each contaminant, with technical explanations and references. May 2009.
Web page

Tables of guidance values linked to individual contaminant reports
Web page

Private or Public Drinking Water Facility

Information presented in chart form to help determine whether your supply is a public or private facility.
MS Word 41 KB | PDF 15 KB

Protect Your Family: A Guide to Water Quality Testing for Private Wells

Informational brochure from the US EPA and the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, explaining how wells can get contaminated and testing procedures to be followed.
Web page

Recommendations for Private Wells Inundated by Flooding

Disinfection procedures and other guidance if a private well has been contaminated by floodwater.. February 13, 2008.
Web page

Horsekeeping: Protecting Public Health & Drinking Water

Potential risks from pasture runoff, and what horse owners can do to prevent contamination of water supplies, including recommended well setbacks from manure piles.
Web page

Back to Private Wells index

Protect Your Family: A Guide to Water Quality Testing for Private Wells

Informational brochure from the US EPA and the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, explaining how wells can get contaminated and testing procedures to be followed.
Web page

MassDEP-Certified Laboratories for Drinking Water Analysis

Information about laboratories certified for water analysis in Massachusetts - regulations, process, and link to a searchable list of certified labs.
Web page

Private Drinking Water Testing and the Use of Massachusetts Certified Laboratories

Q&A about lab certification, test quality, testing parameters, choosing a lab, and more.
Web page

Private Wells - Testing Parameters and Frequency Guidelines

While MassDEP does not regulate private wells or mandate testing for private water supplies, these are recommended guidelines for testing.
Web page

Point of Entry/Point of Use Devices

These devices - such as carbon filters, ion treatment, reverse osmosis systems, etc. - are installed locally, either at the water service connection of a building (point of entry) or right at the tap (point of use), to treat aesthetic issues such as taste or odor or to help meet drinking water standards. August 2007.
Web page

Private Wells in Urban Areas

Fact sheet prepared by MassDEP's Northeast Regional Office on private wells in areas served by public water systems.
MS Word 55 KB | PDF 77 KB

Recommendations for Private Wells Inundated by Flooding

Disinfection procedures and other guidance if a private well has been contaminated by floodwater. February 13, 2008.
Web page

DWP's use of Office of Research and Standards Drinking Water Guidelines and US EPA Health Advisory Level

Discusses the role of Office of Research and Standards Drinking Water Guidelines and US EPA Health Advisory Levels when a contaminant is detected in drinking water. Decemeber 30, 2009.
Web page

Back to Private Wells index

Boards of Health List

Addresses and phone numbers for Massachusetts Boards of Health.
Web page

Massachusetts Health Officers Association

This website includes a calendar of events, news, training information, and more.
MHOA Web site

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Fact Sheets

Although these fact sheets were written for New Hampshire, they include much generally useful information on drinking water topics relative to private wells and other areas of concern.
NHDES Web site

Well Water Fact Sheets (from University of Massachusetts-Amherst)

Fact sheets on a wide variety of subjects, such as treatment, contaminants, standards, and testing, from the Natural Resources & Environmental Conservation program of the UMass-Amherst Extension Service.
UMass-Amherst Web site

US EPA's Private Drinking Water Wells page

Information from US EPA on private wells. Like MassDEP, EPA does not regulate private water supplies, but provides information for consumers on health and safety issues associated with private supplies.
US EPA Web site

Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) Well Drillers Program

All well drillers in Massachusetts must be certified by DCR. This webpage provides information about laws and regulations for well drillers and a list of certified drillers in the state.
Web page

Office of the Massachusetts State Geologist

This website provides access to GIS maps of private well locations by USGS quadrangles, along with links to related information on other sites. Note that GIS coverage is not statewide at this time; additional maps will be added as research is completed.
Massachusetts State Geologist Web site

The American Well Owner - American Ground Water Trust

The American Well Owner (TAWO) provides resources for well owners to keep their water supplies safe and sustainable. TAWO is an arm of the American Ground Water Trust, an organization dedicated to the protection and safe management of ground water resources.
TAWO Web site

Back to Private Wells index